Center-feed tissue paper rolls are typically dispensed from dispensers having a housing which is arranged to receive a single full center-feed tissue paper roll. Because only one center-feed tissue paper roll is received in the respective dispenser housings, it is fairly difficult for the service personnel to determine the right timing for replacing an almost empty center-feed tissue paper roll by a full one. The difficulty results from the fact that center-feed tissue paper rolls can only be replaced as a whole. This situation is substantially different from the situation in which paper from a tissue paper stack is dispensed because in this case, the tissue paper stack can be easily refilled by simply placing the needed quantity of single tissue paper towels on top of the almost used-up stack in the dispenser.
Because the exact timing for the replacement of an almost empty center-feed tissue paper roll is almost impossible to determine, the almost used-up center-feed tissue paper roll is typically thrown away, such that paper is wasted that could otherwise be used. In particular, the service personnel typically applies this approach because if it is waited too long with the replacement of an almost used-up tissue paper roll, a user could be faced with a dispenser which is empty. To be on the safe side, the service personnel rather throw the almost used-up stub roll away than risking a dissatisfaction of the user.
In order to overcome these disadvantages when using center-feed tissue paper rolls, WO 93/22963 A1 suggests placing two center-feed tissue paper rolls on top of one another and connecting the tail end of the lower roll with the leading end of the top roll, such that, if the first roll is used up, the second roll can be automatically dispensed as well. This gives the services personnel more flexibility in their timing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,287 suggests placing two center-feed tissue paper rolls next to one another in a housing and making sure, by means of a mechanism, that the first tissue paper roll can be dispensed completely and only then an opening leading towards the dispensing portion of the second tissue paper roll can be accessed.
One disadvantage of the dispensers suggested in the prior art is that the respective housings become bulky and the mechanisms are quite complex and the replacement mechanisms are fairly fault-prone because they rely on a connection of the mechanism to a tissue paper sheet in order to activate the respective mechanism for changing from one roll to the other.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,730 B1, a dispenser according to the preamble of claim 1 is known.